Potato-digger.



Patented Sept. 23, I902.

L. A. ASPINWALL.

POTATO BIGGER.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1902.

2 Sheeis-$hee1 I.

(No Model.)

No. 709,959. Patented Sept. 23, I902. L. A. ASPINWALL;

POTATO BIGGER.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1902.)

2 Shets-$heet 2.

(No Model.)

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' UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

LEWIS AUGUSTUS ASPINWALL, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO ASPINWALL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN,

A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

POTATO-BIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 709,659, dated September 23, 1902.

Application filed February 3,1902. Serial No. 92,238. (No model.)

To all 1071,0121, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwis AUGUSTUS As- PINWALL, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented an Improvement in Potato-Diggers, of which the follow t ing is a specification.

My present invention is designed as an improvement upon devices heretofore employed by me with the object of simplifying the construction, strengthening the parts, making more positive and efficient the various movements, and also imparting to the second movement or separator a feature adapted to be adjusted for controlling the movement of the swinging separatorforks according to the character of the earth that the machine is acting upon.

In my present invention the frames are strongly made and firmly connected and are of such form, together with the bearings, that all the parts are carried by and swing upon the main axle, and the moving parts are to a large extent covered and protected from contact with earth and vines that might act to clog the same or impede their movements, and parts of the first movement or pulverizer and the second movement or separator are adapted to swing into more or less of a gravity position and Lobe momentarily carried in such position, so as to lessen the power necessary to operate the machine and at the same time perform useful functions. The pulverizer-arms are of bent form and pass through openings provided between parts secured to and rotating with the power-shaft of the said device, and said arms are provided with crank-arms and rollers hearing in their 0perative position upon a cam, the cam being so formed as to release the arms and allow them to drop by gravity when not in an operative position. In the second movement or separator there are series of swinging forks pivoted in a revoluble head, the arbors of the forks turning in tangential sleeves of the revoluble head, a disk cam being provided and the arbors of the forks having cranks and rollers, the rollers bearing upon said camdisk for part of theirrotation and running 01f the cam and hanging free in the other part of their movement, said forks being held while the earth, potatoes, and tops are delivered thereon from the arms of the pulverizer, so that the earth falls through the tines of the forks, and the potatoes and vines remain thereon and are delivered onto the ground as soon as the forks turn when released from the cam, and the camdisk is adjustable so as to prolong the time when the earth, potatoes, and tops remain thereon, the same being advantageous in Working in wet earth in contradistinction to workingin dry or loamy soil. All of these features are hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva tion representing my improvement, one of the wheels being removed for clearness of illustration. Fig. 2 is a plan and partial section representing the essential featuresof my invention, the same being taken upon a line below the shaft and sleeve and without the wheels. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the cam employed with the first movement or pulverizer. Fig. 4: is an elevation and partial cross-section illustrating my improvements, said Fig. 4 being without the first movement, the plow or grating. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan through the frame and above the swinging forks of the second movement or separator. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the cam employed in connection with the second movement, said cam also appearing in Figs. 1, 4, and 51 Fig. 7 is a cross-section through part of the revoluble head, showing a crank-arm and roller and a stop for limiting the movement of the same.

Ct at represent the wheels of the potato-digger; b, the axle; c, a sleeve surrounding a portion of said axle, and o flanges upon opposite sides of said sleeve and occupying a substantially horizontal or slightly-inclined position. Either or both of the wheels a a are employed for imparting power to drive the mechanism with the movement of the digger, the devices for accomplishing the same being well known in the art and requiring no further description and no illustration. said sleeve 0 and side flanges a, supported by The the. axle I), carry all the framework, the bearings, and the parts of the different movements from the axle, and all of said parts swing upon the axle.

The dishing frame (1 is provided with a flange and by bolts is secured to the side flanges c, and said frame (1 is provided with openings for the shafts of the respective movements. A sleeve 6, forming a bearing for the shaft of the first movement, is provided with a flange 2, coming adjacent to one of the openings in the framed, and upon the other end of the sleeve 6 is a cam e. Said sleeve 6 is also provided with side flanges 3, one of which is secured toa lug on the frame d and the other to a flange 4 at one side of a sleeve f, which forms a bearing for the shaft of the second movement. This sleeve f is provided with a flange 5, by which the same is secured to the dishing frame d, and a part at one end of said sleeve passes through an opening in said frame d.

I provide a hollow casing g, having side flanges g, resting upon and bolted to the flange 4 of the sleeve f, and which receives the opposite end of the sleeve f and which also receives an axis 6, fixed thereto by a bolt 7, said axis being slightly inclined from a vertical plane, and a bracket 8, secured to one of the side flanges c, is also connected by the same bolt 7 to the hollow casing g, thereby further supporting said casing and said axis 6 from the side flanges c and causing the partsf and g to coactin asupporting relation the one to the other. A malleable cast frame h, secured to the dishing frame d, forms a forward prolongation of said frame and supports the plow 1', a grating-frame it, and a grating is, all of which. parts are connected to the'said frame h.

A ratchet 9 and gear 10 are connected and are mounted upon the axle b, and they are preferably connected to the axle b, it being a fact in this art that the wheels are usually loose upon the axle and are provided with one or more pawls at one or both sides of the machine, engaging one or more such ratchets for the purpose of communicating the power of the wheels to the axle in operating the mechanism as the machine is drawn over the ground, the wheels directly comm nnicating the power. I provide a pinion ll, meshing with the gear 10, and a bevel-gear 12, both of which are. upon the shaft 1'7, which passes through the bearing-sleeve f.

A pinion 13 is upon one end of the shaft 14, which passes through the sleeve e, and the pinion 13 is in mesh with the bevel-gear 12, power being communicated from the gear 10 through the pinion 11 and gears 12 and 13 to the said shaft 14. The pinion 13 and shaft 14 form part of the first movement or pulverizer, and upon the forward end of the shaft 141 provide the pulverizer device,which essentially comprises a dishing disk Z and plate Z, secured together and substantially in )ne piece and provided with radially-spaced,-

apart openings, the same being secured to the forward end of said shaft 14, so as to turn therewith.

The pulverizer-arms 15 are bent,with parts at approximately right angles to one another. The inner ends of said arms pass through the radial openings between the parts Z and Z, and the inner ends of said arms are provided with crank-arms carrying rollers, and the rollers bear upon the surface of the cam e. The rollers and cranks follow the crank-arms with the rotary movement imparted to the pulverizer, and where the rollers bear upon the cam they hold the pulverizer-arms in position. This cam c has operative and non-operativesurfaces, and when the rollers run off the operative surface they permitthe pulverizer-arms at their outer ends to drop by gravity and occupy a hanging position. In the second movement a bevel-gear 18 is secured to one end of the shaft 17 and is within the hollow casing g, and 1 provide a bevel -gear 19, meshing therewith and loosely surrounding the axis 6, and this bevelgear 19 is secured to a revolub'le head m, and through said head the axis 6 passes, there being an intermediate ring-frame 20 secured to the flange of the sleevefand coming below the lower edge of the hollow casing g, so as to completely inclose the bevel-gears 18 and 19 and keep out dust and dirt. The revoluble head 1% is of peculiar form, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the same being provided with tangent-sleeves m, projecting from the main portion of the said head. This head is open underneath, provided with a sleeve, and it and the bevel-gear19, connected therewith, are held in position and in their relation to the ring-frame 20 and casinggby the disk cam 0, which is upon the axis 6 and is securely held thereto in the desired position by a bolt.

The swinging forks n of the separator device are shown in a series of eight with four tines each, and they are made with arbors n, there being by preference collars upon said arbors coming against the outer ends of said sleeves, and upon the inner ends of said arbors I provide cranks 21, carrying rollers 22 and preferably made with projections 23 on the heel of the cranks. From Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6 the form of the cam-disk 0 will be apparent, and the rollers 22 bear upon part of the su rface of said c am-diskthat is, the surface substantially flatand nearest in the plane of the arbors "n/the said rollers running off the inclined portion of said cam-disk at one side and running on the inclined portion at the other side with their rotary movement. These surfaces are flat and are at an obtuse angle to one another.

From Figs. 4 and 5 the position of the swing ing forks will be especially apparent, there being four of the series where the rollers are bearing upon the fiat portion of the cam ad jacent to the plane of the arbors, and in which position the forks are held in their operative position for work. Two of the series of forks are shown with their rollers out of contact with the cam and with the forks turned down and substantially hanging by gravity. One of the said series offorks is shown as running off the cam and another as running on, in both of which positions the inclination of the forks is shown as different from the working position or the hanging position, the one going to the hanging position and the other going to the working position. The projection 23 on the heel of the cranks 21 comes against the flange of the head m, so as to limit the extent of downward or hanging movement of the forks of the series and also to lessen the extent to which the cranks and rollers as acting upon the cam-disk have to lift the swinging forks when returning them to their working position.

The operation of the various parts is substantially as follows: As the digger is drawn along with the plow in the earth the earth, with the potatoes and tops in the row, passes up the plow onto the grating 7c. The forward movement of the machineby the gears, bevelwheels, and shafts, hereinbefore described, actuates the first movement or pulverizer and also the second movement or separator, and the pulverizer-arms 15 move around with the disk Z and plate Z. In the direction of rotation the resistance odered by the material presses against the bent pulverizer-arms and brings the crank ends and rollers against the cam. This arrests the movement of said arms and applies the power through the medium of the parts described, so that said pulverizerarms move the earth, potatoes, and tops not only along the curved surface of the grating,

but throw and deliver the same over upon the separator-forks. As the pulverizer-arms rise above thelevel 0f the grating after performing their work the rollers of the crank-arms run off the cam and the arms drop by gravity, discharging the load or material, after which they again come around into the operative position, so that during part of the movement they substantially hang free and move with the said disk and plate; As the earth and potatoes, with the tops, are delivered upon the swinging forks of the separator the earth is comparatively loose and falls through between the tines of the forks, leaving the potatoes andthe tops thereon, and it the earth does not at once fall away there is an appreciable period in the rotation of the separator in which the earth willhave time to disintegrate and fall away from the forks. The separatorforks are held in the desired position by the cranks and rollers on their inner ends bearing against the surface of the disk cam 0, and they are held in operative position by the disk cam While their rollers are running upon the substantially horizontal surface thereof. The operative position of the swinging forks is maintained for substantially a half-rotation of the separator, and toward the rear of the machine the rollers runupon the incline of the disk cam,permitting the forks to swing by gravity and grad ually deliver the potatoes and tops upon the surface of the ground. There is a part of this rotary movement when the rollers of the forks are free from the surface of the disk cam and in which the forks hang from the revoluble head m by gravity, requiringno poweror force for theiroperation.

They thereafter assume the desired oper-' ative position as the rollers 22 run up the inclined surface of the disk cam onto the substantially horizontal portion. The disk cam 0 is held in position by a set-screw bearing against the axis 6, and I have shown in Figs. 1 and a and prefer to provide a pin 24:, pass ing through the axis 6 beneath thehub of the disk cam, so as to prevent the cam dropping upon the aXis, but permit the same to be turned to adjust the operative position of the swinging forks.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a potato-digger, the combination with a plow and grating, of a pulverizer device including bent swinging arms and means for controlling the movements and operative position of said arms when the same are in operative position, and which devices permit the arms out of position to be free, and a separator device including a series of swinging forks, and devices substantially as shown and described for supporting said forks in their operative position but which allow said forks to deliver the potatoes and tops and to hang in a position of gravity during part of their movement, substantially as set forth.

2. In a potato-digger, the combination with the plow and grating, of a pulverizer device comprising a series of bent pivoted .arms, a shaft and devices connected thereto and to which said arms are pivotally connected, cranks and rollers on the inner ends of said arms and a cam acting upon said rollers for controlling the movements of said arms and permitting said arms during part of their movement to hang free, substantially as set forth.

3. In a potato-digger, the combination with the plow and grating, of a pulverizer device comprising a series of bent pivoted arms, a shaft and devices connected thereto and to which said arms are pivotally connected, cranks and rollers on the inner ends of said arms, and a cam acting upon said rollers for controlling the movements of said arms and permitting said arms during part of their movements to hang free, a sleeve forming part of the frame of the machine and secured thereto and on one end of which said cam is formed, and gears connecting the opposite end of said shaft to the axle of the machine for effecting the rotary movement of the pulverizer device, substantially as set forth.

4. In a potato-digger, the combination with the plow and grating, of a bearing-sleeve e forming part of and secured to the frame of the machine and having a cam e at one end, a shaft 14; passing through said sleeve, a disk Z and plate Z secured together and connected upon one end of the said shaft, a pinion 13 upon the opposite end of said shaft, pulverizer-arms of bent form journaled between the disk Z and plate Z, crank-arms 16 on the ends of said pulverizer-arms and rollers carried thereon and for part of the rotary movement of said pnlverizer device bearing upon the surface of the cam e, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a potato-digger, the combination with the plow and grating, of a bearing-sleeve c forming part of and secured to the frame of the machine and having a cam e at one end, a shaft 14 passing through said sleeve, a disk Z and plate Z secured together and connected upon one end of the said shaft, a pinion 13 upon the opposite end of said shaft, pulverizer-arms 15 of bent form journaled between the disk Z and plate Z, crank-arms 16 on the ends of said pulverizer-arms and rollers carried thereon and for part of the rotary movement of said pnlverizer device bearing upon the surface of the cam e, a,bevel-gear 12, a pinion 11 connected therewith, a shaft and bearings therefor, a gear 10 and ratchet 9 connected together upon the main shaft of the machine with the gear 10 meshing with the pinion 11 for communicating the power and movement of the axle to the pulverizer device, substantially as set forth.

6. In a potato-digger, the combination with the wheels, the axle and a sleeve 0 having side flanges c surrounding said axle, of a dishing frame 01 secured to said flanges c, a frame It secured to the frame d, a gratingframe is secured to the frame h and the grating and. plow secured respectively to the frame It and the grating-frame 7t, substan tially as set forth.

7. Ina potato-digger, the combination with the wheels, the axle, a. sleeve surrounding the axle and side flanges formed with the sleeve, of a dishing frame 01 secured to the said side flanges, a sleeve fpassing through an opening in the frame 01 and having a flange 5 by which the same is secured to said frame d, a lug also formed with the framed, a sleeve 8 and integral cam c, said sleeve passing through a second opening in the frame d, and a flange 2 formed with the sleeve 6 and coming against the surface of the frame (1, flanges 3 formed with the sleeve e, and bolts for connecting the said flanges and sleeve to the flange Land the lug of the frame d, 'substantially as set forth.

8. In a potato-digger, the combination with the wheels, the axle, a sleeve surrounding the axle and side flanges formed with the sleeve, of a dishing frame of secured to the said side flanges, a sleevef passing through an opening in the frame 61 and having a flange 5 by which the same is secured to said frame, a flange 4E formed with the sleeve f, a hollow casing g, an axis 6 within the same, a bracket 8 secured to the side flanges of the axle-sleeve, and a bolt 7 passing through said bracket and through the hollow casing and axis for connecting the parts,and a ring-frame 20 secured to the sleevefand coming below the hollow casing g, substantially as set forth.

9. In apotato-digger, the combination with a fixed axis and means for supporting and inclosingthesame,ofaseparatordevice comprising a revoluble head m and connected bevelgear 19 surrounding the said axis, a series of swinging forks n pivotally mounted in said revoluble head, cranks and rollers on their inner ends, and an adjustable cam-disk secured to the said fixed axis below the plane of the swinging forks, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In a potato-digger,the combination with a fixed axis and means for supporting and inclosing the same, of a separator device comprising a revoluble head m and connected bevel-gear 19 surrounding the said axis, a series of swinging forks n pivotally mounted in said revolu ble head, cranks and rollers on their inner ends, and an adjustable cam-disk secured to the said fixed axis below the plane of the swinging forks, a shaft 17, a bevel-gear 18 on one end thereof meshing with the aforesaid bevel-gear 19, a pinion 11 on the shaft 17, a gear 10 and connected ratchet 9 on the axle of the machine by which power and rotation are communicated to the device of the separator, substantially as set forth.

11. In a potato-digger, a separator device comprising a revoluble head 1% having tangent sleeves m projecting from the main portion of said head, a sleeve at the center of said head the same being open underneath, a bevelgear connected to said head, a fixed-axle-support passing through the bevel gear and sleeve of the head, a series of swinging forks each comprising a multiplicity of tines, an arbor passing through a tangent sleeve, a crank on the other end of the arbor and within the said head, and a roller on the crank, and a cam-disk adjustably mounted on the central supporting-axis and upon which the said rollers bear, substantially as set forth.

12. In a potato-digger, a separator device comprising a revoluble head m having tangent sleeves m projecting from the main portion of said head, a sleeve at the center of said head,the same being open underneath,a bevelgear connected to said head, a fixed axle-support passing through the bevel gear and sleeve of the head, a series of swinging forks each comprising a multiplicity of tines, an arbor passing through a tangent sleeve, a crank on the other end of the arbor and within said head, and a roller on the crank, and a camdisk 0 adjustably secured upon the central supporting-axis and having two substantially flat faces at approximately obtuse angles to one another, the higher surface of said cam being the operative surface thereof and actingto hold the series of forks in their operative position, and the inclined surface permitting the forks to swing upon their arbors, substantially as set forth.

13. In a potatodigger, a separator device comprising a revoluble head m having tangent sleeves m projecting from the main portion of said head, a sleeve at the center of said head,the same beingopen underneatlna bevelgear connected to said head, a fixed axial su pport passing through the bevel gear and sleeve of the head, a series of swinging forks each comprising am nltiplioity of tines, an arbor passing through a tangent sleeve, a crank on the other end of the arbor and within said head, and a roller on the crank, and a cau1- disk adjusiably mounted on the central sup- LEWIS AUGUSTUS ASPINWALL.

Witnesses:

W. O. SHANAFELT, GEO. N. WHITNEY. 

